The Italian and Chelsea handler, Antonio Conte could earn as much as £26.7m in compensation if Chelsea decide a managerial change is required in west London as the Italian only penned a new deal with the club during the summer.
Chelsea want to give Conte the chance to try figure the situation out, and also don’t want another costly pay-off, but there is also the issue of the best possible replacement. The hierarchy want to wait until the clean slate of the end of the season, when they can also make a clearer decision on the next man, but have naturally been considering options.
There is now widespread expectation there will be a mutually-agreed parting of the ways at the end of the season and, even though that has been threatened by recent results, it is a solution that both parties would prefer.
Napoli’s Maurizio Sarri and former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique are currently the leading candidates.
(VANGUARD)